About the new tax levy

School board race TAX LEVY ISSUE The business of education Total district operating revenues District spending and enrollment History of tax levy increases About the new tax levy Paying those employees Measuring student achievement How Columbia compares	About the new tax levy Missouri school districts get money from three sources: the federal government, the state government and district taxpayers. You, as the last group, give the Columbia district the most money. The district gets about 60 percent of its funding from the local property tax levy. Though Columbia voters have approved the two other tax levy increases — for 19 cents and, before that, 58 cents — the district has asked for in the past 10 years, Eric Hanushek, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said that nationwide, tax levy increases for education are not such an easy sell. “Nationally, a significant proportion of school funding votes fail,” Hanushek said. Don Ludwig, a former school board member, said he thinks the community will approve the 54-cent tax levy increase. As far back as he can remember on this point, about 25 years, it is rare for the district to propose a tax levy increase that does not pass. “This community is very liberal with its support of education,” Ludwig said. Many of the district’s voters work for MU and Stephens and Columbia colleges, and they know the value of a good education and want that for their kids, he said. While businesses adjust product prices and costs to get more money, school districts ask local taxpayers for more. This single difference can influence how the people running the organization make decisions, Hanushek said. “Nationwide, it is not an easy vote, in part because districts have a tendency to push requests as far as they can,” he said. District administrators can be motivated to ask for money for reasons both good and bad. “The good motivations are that a district sees that with extra tax revenues, they could produce special programs that could benefit kids and provide the absolutely best education possible,” Hanushek said. “The bad motivation is you can always make the workplace and the environment more comfortable,” he said. “Administrators might ask for more money to make things more comfortable, but those things are not necessarily going to lead to large achievement gains for students.” Ritter, the former superintendent, said the district is facing higher costs and more students, which is why more money is needed. “In order to keep competitive with other good districts in the state, you have to pay attention to teacher salaries. Expenses are going to go up; we’ve had increased enrollment steadily,” Ritter said. “So in order just to maintain the quality that you have, you’ve got to have additional revenues. From time to time, people are going to be asked to support their schools.” To calculate your own tax increase, go to our complete voters guide and click on School property tax levy. AUDREY SPALDING \| news@columbiamissourian.com

School board race

TAX LEVY ISSUE

The business of education

Missouri school districts get money from three sources: the federal government, the state government and district taxpayers. You, as the last group, give the Columbia district the most money. The district gets about 60 percent of its funding from the local property tax levy.

Though Columbia voters have approved the two other tax levy increases — for 19 cents and, before that, 58 cents — the district has asked for in the past 10 years, Eric Hanushek, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said that nationwide, tax levy increases for education are not such an easy sell.

“Nationally, a significant proportion of school funding votes fail,” Hanushek said.

Don Ludwig, a former school board member, said he thinks the community will approve the 54-cent tax levy increase. As far back as he can remember on this point, about 25 years, it is rare for the district to propose a tax levy increase that does not pass.

“This community is very liberal with its support of education,” Ludwig said. Many of the district’s voters work for MU and Stephens and Columbia colleges, and they know the value of a good education and want that for their kids, he said.

While businesses adjust product prices and costs to get more money, school districts ask local taxpayers for more. This single difference can influence how the people running the organization make decisions, Hanushek said.
“Nationwide, it is not an easy vote, in part because districts have a tendency to push requests as far as they can,” he said.

District administrators can be motivated to ask for money for reasons both good and bad.

“The good motivations are that a district sees that with extra tax revenues, they could produce special programs that could benefit kids and provide the absolutely best education possible,” Hanushek said.

“The bad motivation is you can always make the workplace and the environment more comfortable,” he said. “Administrators might ask for more money to make things more comfortable, but those things are not necessarily going to lead to large achievement gains for students.”

Ritter, the former superintendent, said the district is facing higher costs and more students, which is why more money is needed.

“In order to keep competitive with other good districts in the state, you have to pay attention to teacher salaries. Expenses are going to go up; we’ve had increased enrollment steadily,” Ritter said. “So in order just to maintain the quality that you have, you’ve got to have additional revenues. From time to time, people are going to be asked to support their schools.”

To calculate your own tax increase, go to our complete voters guide and click on School property tax levy.

AUDREY SPALDING | news@columbiamissourian.com